Flame
by hogwartsalways5298
Summary: Roxanne Arthur's life was ripped apart when the man supposed to protect Gotham's citizens killed her husband. A year later, a mysterious villain threatens the city and takes Roxanne hostage. She emerges nearly unscathed, but with a new, even more passionate hate for one man... The Batman... Rated T, of course, for swearing and (surprise!) action. Written for Lady Legend.
1. Chapter 1

**¡Hola mis amigos y amigas! ¿Cómo estan? ¿Bien? ¡Bueno! Y yo?**

**Freaking HORRIBLE, dammit. **

**So yes, my friends, I'm back and sicker than ever! (Can I not make it through ONE MONTH of school without getting sick?) I bet you're wondering where the hell this fic came from. Long story short, the lovely Lady Legend (previously of EverythingLooksBetterFromALap) requested a story with an OC villain and some kind of romance with Bruce. Seeing as I was in a rut and freaking IDEALESS, I started writing it and HOLY SHIT THIS IS FUN. **

**So yeah. More romancey than Flight of the Mockingbird (if you haven't read it, READ IT NOW) but still not especially... romantic and lovey-dovey and staring to each other's eyes finding themselves lost in the ocean blue and shit. **

**Oh, and alter egos (namely Candy and Sweet Tooth) are different from FotM. Just so you know. **

**Disclaimer: I don't understand the confusion over the fact that I own this. We've established that I'm a poor scholarship kid. All I've got is Roxanne... Though she was technically mentioned briefly in HMB... So I don't even know her... Sigh...**

**Chapter 1**

I grumbled to myself as I dragged another page across my cluttered desk to lay in front of me. I was scarcely a sentence in when I scowled and shoved the paper away in disgust. Why had I given this assignment in the first place? I should've known what was coming when I told twenty eleven year olds to write a paper on their hero, should've known who they would all be about.

Batman.

I was an idiot for thinking this assignment was a good idea. I didn't want to have to read twenty papers describing in detail what a fantastic person the caped crusader was. Maybe citizens considered him a hero, but to me he would always be the villain who had ruined my life.

A year ago, I was happily married to my husband Wallace. Wally, for short. At that time, I still went by my birth name, Belinda. I had never much liked it, but Wally thought that it was a beautiful name, though he always said it could never do justice to the even more beautiful woman it belonged to. We owned a small grocery, and our life was wonderful. Perfect, really.

Then, one night in late December, disaster struck. Or should I say, the Batman struck. He was lurking outside our store as Wally locked up for the night, headed home to our small apartment. He mistook Wally for a thief, and attacked him, dealing out his own kind of 'justice' by shooting at my poor baby. The shots wouldn't have been fatal... had I been there to help. Instead, my beloved husband was left bleeding out on the pavement as I cooked his favorite meal back home as a surprise. I became worried when he didn't return and went to check the store, only to find him almost dead. He had only managed one word before he died. The name of his killer.

"Batman..."

From that moment on I was alone in the world. My parents had died long before, I had no relatives, and Wally's family lived on the other side of the country. I couldn't bring myself to tell them about him. So I sold the store, changed my name, and got a job teaching. I went from a happy life as Belinda Thomas, loving wife and grocery owner, to a crappy life as Roxanne Arthur, fifth grade teacher. I took my mother's maiden name and my middle name and cobbled together a new one in the hopes that ignoring the pain of Wally's death would alleviate it.

It hadn't.

I sighed and tore my eyes away from the photo of Wally and I, both decked out in full wedding regalia, that sat on my desk. Turning my attention back toward the stack of papers, I pulled the last one close again.

"There are many heroes in this world, but above all stands the Batman..."

**OcocOcocO**

An hour later, and I was finally done with all but one of the papers. They were all about Batman. Every. Single. One. Sure, they may have mentioned another hero in passing, like their parents, or a sibling, but it always returned to the Batman.

As I pulled the final paper toward me, steeling myself for yet another paper praising the man, I let a small smile slip onto my face. This one was from Richard Grayson, or Dick as most called him. I always saved his papers for last when I graded. He was unusually thoughtful for a fifth grader. Thoughtful, and completely brilliant. Even if his paper was on Batman, I knew I would still enjoy hearing his thoughts on just why the man was such a hero. Perhaps he would add a new perspective, maybe show me that my reasoning was flawed by grief, that Batman wasn't all bad.

Yeah. Right. That would happen.

I capped my pen, knowing it was unlikely I would need it, and began to read the boy's paper.

"Many children my age believe that the ultimate hero is the caped crusader that watches over this city, the Batman. While I am grateful to this man, protecting us from harm and keeping evil at bay, he is not my hero."

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe that someone hasn't written about Batman, but then again, it was Dick Grayson. He was on a different level than his peers. I turned back to his paper and continued reading. To my surprise, the paper - well over the required length for the assignment - was about not a person, but a group of people, his biological family. I felt horrible for the kid as I read over the paper. I never knew that his family was murdered...

After finishing, I leaned back in my chair. I needed to talk to Dick, make sure he was okay. No child should have to go through something like that. As I packed the papers away and stepped into the shower, I resolved I would speak with him as soon as I possibly could.

**So there you have it. Extremely minor character mentioned in passing now with a huge-ass backstory. And who also now teaches Dick Grayson. Interesting things are to come...**

**Oh, and I'm thinking I'll update every Saturday until I have more chapters done... Or on Sundays when I forget about Saturdays... Like today...**

**Review, please! Praise is adored, criticism is appreciated and taken to heart, and flames, well... Flame will use them for ammo and fuel. **


	2. Chapter 2

**HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEllo guys, I'm back! I've decided I'm updating twice a week. Saturday and Wednesday (SHUT UP IT'S STILL WEDNESDAY EVEN IF IT'S NOT WEDNESDAY ANY MORE WHERE I LIVE). **

**And here's the first installment of the Visiting Characters series, in which I will invite characters (be they from Batman universe, HMB universe, or whatever) to introduce the chapter!**

**And now, it's time for everyone's favorite Dark Knight of Gotham!**

**_Bat Wayne: Why the hell am I here again?_**

**Me: You give the disclaimer. And say hi to the audience. Oh, and your name's messed up. **

**_Bruce Man: Shit. Well, hi. Can I go now?_**

**Me: No. Disclaimer. And your name is still messed up. **

**_Bruce Wayne: FUCK. _**

**Me: Still wrong, buddy. You're in the Dark Knight persona right now. **

**_Batman: FUCK YOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU. *storms out*_**

**Erm... That didn't go as planned... Anyway, I still don't own shit. DC Comics and Starkid. And then there was Roxanne. I pretty much own her. Except the Belinda/Wally part... Dammit...**

**Chapter 2**

"All right, class, here are your papers. Almost all of you did your paper on the same person, except for one. I will hand these back for now, but if you want to re-write them on someone else, turn them in by Friday for extra credit." I made my way around the classroom, passing back papers and ignoring the groans and complaints from some of the students when they saw their grades.

As usual, Dick greeted me with a cheeky smile and a "Morning, Miss Arthur." I smiled back at him today, placing his paper on his desk.

"Fantastic job, Dick," I said sincerely. "And I want you to know that I am here for you if you ever need anything." He tensed for a moment, but he quickly nodded his head and smiled again, this one a bit sad.

I returned to the front of class, resuming the grammar lesson we hadn't managed to finish the day before. The day continued in the usual, boring manner - reviewing worksheets and going over minuscule amounts of new material in each subject, having lunch, then going back to lessons.

Toward the end of the day I was sitting at my desk, not paying much attention to the papers I was supposed to be grading. I observed my class, checking to see that everyone was working, making no one was doing anything stupid. While I watched, a small movement caught my attention. Dick Grayson lifted a hand to his eye, rubbing it as if he was tired. When he returned to his work, I thought I noticed a purplish mark on his eye, exactly where he had rubbed at it. Did he have a black eye? How had that happened?

I waited for the bell to ring, signifying the end of the school day. As usual, the majority of the students shot up from their desks immediately, bolting from the room at the first opportunity. There were few kids left when I motioned Dick over. He grabbed his bag and walked over to stand before my desk.

"Dick," I asked gently, "did something happen to your eye?" His smile slipped and he froze briefly before shaking his head no. "Dick," I said, more firmly this time, "I can see a bruise. Now tell me, what happened? I need to know if you're all right."

"I'm fine, Miss Arthur, really," he said. "It was an accident. I really am fine." He seemed completely truthful, sincere.

Best damn liar I'd ever met.

"Okay, Dick. I believe you." He turned to go, but I called him back. "Dick, you're staying with Bruce Wayne, correct?" The boy nodded. "Let him know that I would like to meet with him as soon as possible." Dick nodded again, a tad reluctantly this time, and left the classroom, shutting the door behind him.

I stuffed the latest stack of worksheets and papers in my bag. I could already tell it was going to be a long night. I left the class, double checking the lock, and strolled out of the school and in the direction of my favorite old café. The café, in fact, where Wally and I first met.

I entered, waved at the owner, and slipped into my usual booth. A few minutes later the ever-present mug of coffee was set on the table, and I was able to spread out the papers and focus on grading them.

At least there weren't as many memories here... Assuming I didn't count our first date... first kiss... senior prom... his proposal...

Who was I kidding? I tortured myself every day going there, but no one else had to know that. Not even the owners knew me any more. They knew sweet, lighthearted Belinda Thomas... Not dark, somewhat depressed Roxanne Arthur. All they knew was I was a teacher who liked her coffee dark with just a splash of cream. Maybe I would've preferred having them know me, acknowledge me... But at least I didn't have to deal with people assuring me that it was going to be okay, because it wouldn't be.

Not even close.

Never again.

**There you go. Next update on Saturday... Or Sunday... The weekend, okay? Sheesh. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya guys! I'm updating every other day now because I'm too hyper and excited and impatient and probably ADHDsquirrel to wait very long. Anyway, I have fantabulous news!**

**Ready for it?**

**I MIGHT BE GOING TO 1 NIGHT 2 LAST 3 EVER ON OCTOBER 27! **

**As my friend says, FUCK YEAH MOTHERFUCKERS! WHOOOOOOOOO! YEAH! FUCKING STARKIDDSSSSSSS!**

**_Robin: Umm, Nicole?_**

**THIS IS SO DAMN AWESOME THIS IS THE SHIT YEEAAAAHHH!**

**_Nicole?_**

**FUCKING YEEESSSSSSS-**

**_NICOLE!_**

***glares* What?**

**_Shut up. _**

***can't speak***

**_That's better. I speak for Miss Hyperactive over here when I say she owns nothing except Roxanne and the majority of her backstory. She just likes messing with us. Enjoy the chapter. Robin out. _**

***still glaring***

**Chapter 3**

A few days after the hero assignment, the kids were at lunch and I was sitting in the classroom, working on papers I had avoided grading for over a week. I was spared having to continue when the door swung open, and the Prince of Gotham walked into my classroom. I set the stack of papers to the side and motioned him over.

"You wanted to see me?" Bruce Wayne asked as he sat in the chair across from me. At least he hadn't disinfected the chair first, like most parents.

I nodded. "It's about Dick."

"What about him?"

He had been very casual up to that point, relaxed in his chair, but his attention became completely focused on me when I mentioned his adopted son. Good to know that he cared about Dick, wasn't just the careless playboy he seemed to be.

"Has he been doing okay?"

Wayne tilted his head to one side. "Why do you ask? Is something wrong?"

"I noticed the other day that he had a black eye. I wanted to make sure he wasn't getting into trouble, or... anything like that." I didn't think Wayne was the type to abuse an adopted son... But you had to be careful. A city like this was bound to be full of unsavory characters, and orphans never seemed to do well, even after being adopted.

"Not that I can think of, no," Wayne replied honestly. Or at least, it seemed honest. Dick being as good of a liar as he was, he had to have learned it from someone.

"That's good to know," I told him, still not completely convinced that he knew nothing. "Other than that, Dick has been doing very well. He's a gifted child."

"I know," Wayne replied with a bit of a grin. He stood to leave and reached across to shake my hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"It was nice speaking with you, Mr. Wayne."

"Call me Bruce, please," he said, his grin growing wider as he turned to leave. He pulled open the door, waved over his shoulder, and left.

**Sorry for the short chapter today. You'll get another on Sunday, so don't complain. Reviews are loved, flames will supply Flame with her extra equipment!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I had homework as half of The Three Musketeers to read. Finished it last night. Fantastic book. **

**Speaking of books, special guest Mark Tw- I mean, Commissioner Gordon!**

**_Commissioner Gordon: I'm baffled as to how I got here. Miss? Could you tell me where I am?_**

**Oh, well, you're in my disclaimer-**

**_I'm sure Midisclamar is a lovely city, but I have to be gettin' back to Gotham. Gotta find myself the door..._**

**Um... You can't leave until the story starts...**

**_*walks into wall* What's this? Some kind of forcefield? I'm such a boob for not expecting this! *shoots repeatedly at wall*_**

**Don't do that! You're breaking the fourth wall-**

***wall explodes inward***

***audience rushes in***

**Erm, well... I don't own any of this! *loads shotgun* ALL RIGHT! BACK IN YOUR SEATS!**

**_B-but... B-baffled..._**

**Chapter 4**

"We interrupt the usual Friday evening report for this breaking news from Gotham's criminal underworld." My ears perked up as I heard Vicki Vale's voice. I was still at the school - where else would I be? I was a goddamn teacher with no social life - and I had turned on the tiny class television to listen to the news as I graded some math worksheets. What was the perky reporter talking about this time?

"An unknown villain, referring to themselves only as C, has sent this message to us at Channel 7 News." Vicki cleared her throat, held up a slip of paper, and started reading. "'To the citizens of Gotham: For the past year I have been carefully biding my time after you destroyed the one thing I held close to my heart. I have decided that now is the time for action. Every night I will kidnap a loving wife or girlfriend from somewhere in the city... and I will kill them. Every night, a new victim. Unless, of course, the Batman comes forward an reveals his identity to the city at large. I will kill as many as it takes. Mark my words. -C' This note was delivered to the station earlier this evening. The GCPD is on high alert, searching for this unknown criminal. If you know anything about this, please contact the GCPD or the news immediately so we can stop this villain before they strike. Channel 7 will keep you updated as the case develops. Until then, this is Vicki Vale signing off."

A chill ran down my spine. Girlfriends and wives? That meant I was in danger. I began to breathe progressively faster and faster, convinced that I was going to die, when I realized something.

I wasn't a wife any more, was I?

That calmed me down just a fraction.

I sighed and put the worksheets in my bag. I needed to get home before dark. Even if I wasn't one of the potential targets, I didn't want to wander the streets with a murderer threatening women who more or less fit my description.

I slipped almost silently through the hallways, not wanting to be stopped by a fellow teacher. The doors were in sight, just at the end of the hall, and-

"Ms. Arthur? Could you come in here for a moment?"

I sighed and turned around, walking into the principal's office. I thought I wouldn't have to worry about being called here after I graduated, but no. One of the necessary consequences of having to reinvent yourself.

"Yes, Dr. Roberts?"

"Sit," the older woman said curtly, gesturing to an uncomfortable-looking straight-backed chair. I perched lightly on the edge, bag in my lap, ready to stand and leave the instant I could.

"It has come to our attention that you spoke with Bruce Wayne today." There was that damn royal we... That more than anything else about the woman got on my nerves.

"That is correct." What did a parent-teacher meeting have to do with anything?

"Ms. Arthur, we trust you know that Mr. Wayne is one of our most helpful benefactors, and not a man we would want to insult."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly have I done to insult him?" I was genuinely confused now. "I was under the impression that meeting with a student's parents is fairly routine."

"Perhaps," her eyes narrowed, "but in this conversation we have been informed that you hinted that his son Richard has been involved with the wrong crowd. We are certain that you also insinuated that Mr. Wayne has been a less than savory father figure."

"That was my initial suspicion," I admitted, "but only because Dick was injured and refused to tell me how he was hurt. As soon as I met Mr. Wayne I knew he cared too much about Dick to hurt him."

"Either way, we are afraid that we cannot afford to have one of our teachers accusing-"

"I did no such thing!" I said, defending myself, but she continued as if she hadn't heard.

"-accusing our parents of abuse and improper treatment. We simply cannot employ people who make such unfounded accusations. We are sorry, Ms. Arthur."

My jaw dropped. "Are you... Did you just fire me?"

She nodded gravely. "You may return on Monday to explain to your students that you will no longer be teaching here, unless you do not wish to do so." She stood and held open the door. "Good day, Ms. Arthur."

I shuffled out of the office without a word, practically numb from shock. Maybe teaching hadn't been my favorite thing to do, but I needed a job. I needed something to pay for my food, my rent, my bills. I still received small checks from the new owners of the grocery - they had started sending them when they realized what had happened to the previous owners - but they wouldn't be nearly enough to cover the necessities of life, let alone any kind of luxuries.

I walked down the street, my thoughts distracting me from my surroundings. I stared at my feet as I went, not caring about the various Gothamites I bumped into.

Damn it. What was I supposed to do now?

**Update coming on Wednesday. I have the majority of this story already planned out (yay!). Once I finish, I'll post daily, assuming I remember. Just a warning, though, this has the potential to easily become the length of FotM. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys. So I'm in a bad mood today and I feel like shit. Because I love you guys so much, I'm gonna post this. Plus, I'll say again that I like getting reviews ****_HINT HINT_****. No guest star today. **

**_Two Face: But I have TWO speeches prepared!_**

**I said no guest stars. **

**_But add me in and it's DOUBLE the fun!_**

**Shut up, Two Face. **

**_Hey, do you wanna catch a DOUBLE feature later? I have TWICE the money I usually do, so we can get TWO tickets and TWO large popcorns! And if you're wondering, I'm paying with TWO dollar bills from the SECOND National Bank of Gotham!_**

**I didn't ask, Two Face. **

**_But it'll be TWICE the fun if you can come TOO!_**

**Beat it, Two Face. **

**_But-_**

**Leave. **

**_Fine... Catch you on... THE FLIP SIDE! DEUCES!_**

**God... Can't stand that guy... Enjoy the chapter. Recognizable characters belong to Starkid and DC. **

**Chapter 5**

I ran into a newspaper stand and stumbled backwards, earning myself strange looks from the very few people still around. Ignoring them, I snatched up a copy of the paper and glanced at the headline.

"C THREATENS WOMEN ACROSS THE CITY! BATMAN TO TURN HIMSELF IN?"

Oh yeah. That.

I sat down on the stoop of a nearby store to read the article, constantly checking my surroundings to make sure I wasn't being watched. I definitely wasn't in the best part of Gotham.

So it seemed no one had been taken yet. That was good, right? No one was dead? At least I had nothing to worry about, not any more... I wasn't a wife, and I had no friends... No one close to me would be killed. I had no one close to me...

I pulled a small, battered photo of Wally out of my pocket. The photo was with me wherever I went. It was from our college days, not long after we met. We were at a bowling alley, and he was staring to one side and grinning. I could remember exactly what had happened at the moment the shot was taken. Our friend, a budding photographer who now worked for the Gotham Gazette, was practicing action shots that night. This one had happened just as I was walking back to the booth, pizzas in hand. I had slipped on the well-polished floor and skidded toward the bar, flipped over it, and landed on top of the bartender. To be honest, I hadn't even known what had happened. No one had been hurt, but Wally found it so amusing that he had called me Pizza Queen for years after.

God, I missed him.

A few tears slipped down my cheek as I stared down at the photo, lost to the world around me. I just wished I could've felt his arms around me one last time...

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a gruff voice said in front of me. My head snapped up, and I was met with a dark street, no civilians, and half a dozen brightly colored thugs surrounding me. Another man snatched the photo of Wally from my hand as I tried to put it back in my pocket.

"Ah, ah, ah," the second man chided, shaking his finger as if lecturing a child. "We mustn't keep secrets." He looked down at the photo. "Now, who's this? Boyfriend?"

The first man spotted the ring still on my finger. "Husband," he said, his grin widening. "Perfect."

Before I could run, before I could tell them I was a widow, before I could do anything, something slammed into the back of my head. The world went black.

**DUN DUN DUNNNNN!**

**And there, if you wanted any Wally and Roxanne fluffy memories, there ya go. See ya Friday!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I'm sad... No one likes to review... Sniff... But hey, on the bright side, it turns out a person I have a crush on is coming over to my house with his parents and sister for dinner some time in October! Okay... That might not be a good thing... Crap. **

**I'm just gonna invite in whatever character happens to be at my door now. **

**_Cyndi: Hey, Nikki. _**

**Erm... Hi. **

**_How are you doing?_**

**Good, good... Just out of curiosity, are you the original version of Cyndi I had planned? Are you planning on killing me for what I did to your character? **

**_Nope, nope, I'm good. Just happened to be passing through on my way to see Sam, and to check out your fics. How's mine coming, by the way?_**

**Not great... Kinda lost inspiration. Once I have time, though, I'm gonna try to write some more. Maybe by the time Thanksgiving rolls around. **

**_Okay, I guess that's fine. Keep working on that Nouvelle story! Don't forget, you don't own anything here. If you wanna own something, write that. _**

**Yeah... I know...**

**Chapter 6**

Ugh. My head was throbbing, and I could already feel a lump forming on the back of my head. I tried to reach into my purse for some Tylenol, but my arm wouldn't move. My heartbeat quickened, and I started to panic. Why couldn't I move? Was I paralyzed? Was I dead? I cracked my eyes open, glanced at the unresponsive arm.  
Nope. Just gagged and tied to a rusty pole in some abandoned warehouse, surrounded by thugs.

...Wait, what?

"She's awake," I heard someone mutter. "Joe, you go tell the boss." Footsteps walked away, I thought I heard yelling, and a moment later the footsteps were back, accompanied by another pair. The second pair was quieter, quicker, and it sounded like they were wearing heels. A woman, then?

"Who've ya brought me he-ah, hm?" I heard a new, high-pitched voice ask, snapping their gum every other word. A pair of pink and blue knee-high heeled Converse walked in front of me, and I dared to glance up. My vision was still fuzzy, and all I could really make out was a massive pink and blue tutu and hair of the same color.

Definitely a woman, then.

A woman who felt very, very familiar...

"Her name's Roxanne Arthur. Travis found an ID in her wallet."

"An who, Mista Wise Guy, is gonna be missin her?"

The man froze. "I-I don't know." There was a gunshot, and a man landed on the ground beside me, blood pouring from a wound on his chest. I stifled a shriek and tried not to look at the body.

"Anyone he-ah wanna tell me why ya picked her? Hm? Do ya even know if she's got a man, or anythin? Hm? Do any of ya know? I won't hesitate to take ya out like lil' Joe."

A deep, slightly frightened voice spoke up from behind me. "I-I don't recognize her name, but I used to live in her building. She's got a husband. Think his name was Wally."

"Perfect!" the woman trilled, anger forgotten in her excitement. "The Bat's gotta come now!" She crouched down beside me, and I recognized her the instant I saw her face.

C.

Candy.

Sweet Tooth's girl.

Somehow I was more frightened than before.

"Ya ready ta suffer, SweetTart?" she asked, a grin on her face. A knife appeared in her hand, seemingly out of nowhere, and she held it close to my neck. "'Cause you're gonna suffer."

My body tensed, and I tried to shift away from the knife. This only seemed to amuse her, and she giggled like a child playing with a favorite toy.

"Let the Bat know we've got tha first. Now leave. Me and Roxanne are gonna have a lil' talk." She pressed the knife into my throat, breaking skin and drawing a bit of blood. "Girl ta girl."

**OcocOcocO**

"How does it feel?" Candy hissed in my ear. "Do ya feel like your entire world is bein' ripped to shreds? 'Cause that's how I felt. And if that's not how you're feelin', I guess I'm just gonna have to work a lil' harder."

"Please, no!" I tried to shout through my gag. I had been trying to make her stop, trying to tell her that I already knew her pain, that I already knew what she had gone through, since the moment she began. She never listened, or never heard. Blinded by grief, I knew the feeling. Focusing all your hate, regret, sadness on one thing until everything else was blocked out.

This time, though, she seemed to hear me.

"Ya got somethin' ta say?" she asked, ripping my gag off. "Say it."

The only words I was able to say were the first to pop into my brain.

"I'm a widow."

At that moment the door was opened by one of her men. Without even turning to look, her eyes still trained on my face, she whipped out her gun and fired at the door. The man went down. She pressed the knife to my throat again.

"The hell do ya mean you're a widow?"

I swallowed deeply. "I mean my husband is dead. My name isn't Roxanne. It's Belinda."

"I don't believe ya for a second." Candy hit me across the face, hard, with something that felt vaguely like a crowbar or something of the sort. Where the hell had that come from? She moved away, toward the door.

"I'm telling you the truth!" I cried, ignoring the pain in my jaw. "I changed my name when my husband died. When Batman... killed him." She looked back at me, interested. "It was last year. He thought Wally was a thief, but he really just accidentally took a dollar from our store's cash register... It wasn't even stealing, and he was going to put it back in the morning! Batman had no right to attack my Wally! And now he's dead and I'm stuck being a fucking teacher!" I was screaming, yelling, releasing all my pent-up anger, and for what purpose? Now she knew everything about me... I would be lucky if I lived to see daybreak.

Candy looked at me, a grin on her face. She giggled, and I stared at her.

"So ya hate the Bat, do ya?" she asked. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. "Good ta hear. Ya know, I would let ya live just for that... But the Bat's already comin'. Sorry, sugar." She snickered. "At least you'll get ta see your Sweet 'Art when ya die, right? Somethin' ta look forward to."

She skipped over to the door, stepped over the man's body, and called for some of her men. When they arrived they hesitated for only a second at the body, then walked in like nothing was wrong. They began pouring some kind of liquid on a pile of what looked like old bed sheets, spread on the floor behind me. When they were thoroughly doused, the men poured the rest around me.

It was only then that I recognized the smell. Gasoline. She was going to burn the warehouse down with me inside.

**So... Long-ish chapter today. I'm up to chapter ten. Hahaha, Roxanne's raising hell at the school... And a lovely little sort-of cameo by one of my characters... Mostly because I needed a random name. **

**Oh, and if anyone catches a certain reference to a certain fantabulous book series that I made in this chapter, virtual cookies to you. And while editing this just now, I realized an unintentional sort-of reference to my first fanfic. If you get that you get DOUBLE the cookies, because I didn't even know I was making it. But I did. **

**See ya Sunday! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hiya guys! How goes life? Pretty swell for me. Proud to say I'm the only freshie with all As as of right now... I'm also the only one to get a near perfect on the grammar test. GRAMMAR NAZI POWERRRRRR! Anyway, a couple things. **

**One, The Three Musketeers with Chris O'Donnell and Tim Curry is officially the greatest thing ever *cough*mostlybecauseChrisisshirtlessinonesceneando hmygodDickGraysonyouareunbelieveablyhot*cough***

**Oh, and the movie itself is pretty good too. **

**Second, I AM GOING TO 1 NIGHT 2 LAST 3 EVER WITH MY FRIEND AND WE HAVE VIP TICKETS IT IS OFFICIAL I AM GOING TO DIE OF HAPPINESS! AND NONE OF YOU GET TO COME WITH ME AHAHAHAHA!**

**In all seriousness, let's get down to business... To defeat the Huns... NO NO NO STOP WITH THE DISNEY**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm just a weird little teenager with fandom obsession issues, thank you very much. **

**Chapter 7**

The men left the room, dragging the body of their fallen comrade out the door and leaving Candy alone with me.

She pulled something out of her skirt, and a lighter clicked to life. She smirked as my eyes widened.

"See ya in hell, Roxie!" she trilled, tossing the lighter into the puddles of gas as she slipped out the door, leaving it open behind her. How considerate. At least she was allowing me to believe I had a chance of escape.

I watched, frozen with fear, as the flames crept closer toward me. After a moment I shook myself out of my stupor, focusing on pulling at the ropes, trying to find some slack of some kind. I always carried a small pocketknife around with me, in the event that I ever needed to protect myself. Like that had helped when it mattered. Now, if I could just reach my pocket...

A crash sounded from the room outside of mine just as I managed to get a grip on my pocketknife. Naturally I had grabbed the blade rather than the handle, and I stifled a gasp as I felt it slice into my palm. I tried to focus on the noise from outside as I inched the knife out of my pocket, struggling to ignore both my bleeding hand and the flames surrounding me.

"Nice ta see ya again, Batsy!" I heard Candy cry from the other room. I wasn't able to hear Batman's reply.

I began to saw through the ropes tying me to the pole. It was slow work, but the rope was fraying.

"Nah, ST's got nothing to do with this. You should know. You killed him." Candy's tone was much more venomous now, and I sped up as much as I could. Come on, come on, almost halfway there...

"Oh, ya wanna stop me?" I heard Candy giggle. I must've missed Batman's response again. "Then ya gotta catch me!" I heard a gunshot, another crash, and then silence, aside from the crackling of the flames now obscuring even the door from my vision.

Had Batman seriously just abandoned someone in need? What the hell? I thought he'd gotten a little better since his birdy buddy joined him!

The rope snapped without warning, and I managed to slice into my hand yet again. I pushed myself to my feet, trying to find clean air, to rid the smoke from my lungs.

I coughed and looked around wildly, my eyes burning. Everywhere I looked there were flames, flames... Nothing but flames. I was going to burn to death in my own personal hell.

Unless...

Could I make it?

Could I possibly find a way to run through the flames fast enough?

Could I maybe, just maybe, get out of here alive?

I had to take the chance.

**So I'm probably gonna post tomorrow. I'm running low on chapters... But hey, I have a free period long block... So I can write! Yay! Bye. See ya tomorrow!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Erm... About not updating yesterday... Sorry. Lots of stuffs to do... Rehearsal, dance class, *cough* 300,000wordfanfictionI'mreading *cough*, homework, writing, you know, the usual. Anyway, I'm back. I'm afraid I've neglected to write anything on this for a while... Oh well *shrugs* I've got almost two chapter after this, I write fast, and I'm not really sure more than five people are actually reading this... But I'll keep with the every other day schedule as best as I can until I run out of chapters. Then it's gonna be Wednesday/Saturday updates. **

**Chapter 8**

The flames directly in front of me weren't too bad. I might be able to make it through there. I would need some sort of something to at least try to protect my skin from the flames, though. I looked around the room for something, anything, that might working, coughing and spluttering as I tried to rub feeling into my arms.

I quickly realized there was nothing to be used. Very well, I thought, I'll just cover my face with my hands and dash through as fast as possible. That should keep burns to a minimum... Right?

I paused for a few more seconds, waiting for the flames to die down a bit, hunting for a place where they weren't as severe. There wasn't one, and I was beginning to get dizzy and lightheaded from lack of oxygen, my lungs struggling to draw in clear air and get rid of the smoke and ash I had already breathed in by that point.

The flames broke apart for a split second, and I took my chance. I crossed my arms over by face, my nose and mouth buried in my sleeves, and bolted through. I could feel the flames burning the flesh on my calf, could smell my clothes and hair burning, but at that point I didn't care. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I somehow found the strength to barrel through the remaining portion of the room and through the door.

I emerged into a smaller, relatively unharmed, though smoky, room. It was nearly bare, saved for the shattered pieces of glass from the window, a few specks of blood on the floor, and the body of one of Candy's men.

So Batman had abandoned a citizen in need, after all. I felt the spark of hatred in my chest, carefully kindled since that fateful day a year before, grow significantly larger. I became so focused on the fire of hatred inside me that I nearly forgot the one I had just partially escaped from. That is, until a smoky tendril curling across the ceiling caught my attention.

"Shit," I coughed, ducking low to find clean air and keeping one hand on the wall. If the smoke continued thickening at the pace it was now, I would be blind in only a minute or so.

I crawled forward a few inches, only to have my free hand punctured by something long, thin, and jagged.

"Fuck!" I swore, yanking the object out and putting some pressure on the cut to staunch the bleeding. I quickly realized I was holding a piece of glass.

Glass?

Glass...

Glass!

The window!

I dragged myself to the window, ignoring the blood pouring from my hand, ignoring the smoke smothering me, ignoring everything but the fresh night air, possibly imagined, that I could feel coming from the direction of the window. I thought I heard sirens, but I couldn't be sure. Reaching up, hand still on the wall, I searched for the window. It had to be somewhere above me...

My hand made contact with the sill. I hoisted myself up, trying hard not to breathe. The smoke was getting denser by the second, and though some was escaping through the window it was still too thick to breathe safely.

I stuck my head out the window, sucking in the fresh air, and glanced downward. Only a drop of a story or so, maybe a bit more, and there were bushes directly under the window. I could hear the sirens of the fast-approaching firetrucks.

Without a moment's hesitation I pushed myself through the window, ignoring the jagged glass scratching my skin. I clung to the sill, hesitating for only a moment before letting myself drop. I landed safely in the bushes, then rolled away, toward the road. I heard the firetrucks pull up, saw the flashing lights, and suddenly there were men on either side of me, hoisting me up by the arms.

"Did she come from in there?"

"Oh god, is she okay?"

"Jeffries, call the ambulance, make sure they're coming!"

"Ma'am, are you all right? Can you talk? What happened?"

I slowly became aware that they were speaking to me, and I tried to respond, only to begin coughing violently. When I recovered, I was able to respond.

"Candy... kidnapped me," I rasped. "Set the fire... Batman-" I was cut off by yet another fit of coughing. At that point the ambulance arrived. I was placed on a gurney - which seemed a bit excessive to me, though in hindsight I suppose it was necessary - and an oxygen mask was strapped over my face. A handful of EMTs lifted me into the back of an ambulance, and we rushed away to Gotham General.

**Yeah... So Roxanne's a good deal more bad-mouthed than Natalia was, and for two reasons. One, she's an adult. Two, I tend to cuss a lot now... My school has corrupted me. **

**Oh, and if anyone gets what the really obscure reference I made (Glass? Glass... Glass!), YOU get a gold star. **

**Wondering what that 300,000 word fanfic is? ****_Forgotten Bonds, _****by Anthezar. It's a Teen Titans fic about Robin (wow big shocker there). Not what I expected it to be like, but hey, it's awesomely written, really long, AND it's FINISHED! And I know very little about Teen Titans canon, but I'm not having any trouble with the story/characters. If you're in the mood for a fanfic that's pretty much a novel, I suggest you check it out. **


	9. Chapter 9

**I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SO SO SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO ABANDON THIS I SWEAR I JUST HAVE FIVE SEMESTER PROJECTS AND I'M GOING INSANE I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO WRITE AND I NEED THAT TO NOT GO CRAZY I REALLY DIDN'T MEAN TO JUST NOT POST THIS I'M SO SORRRYYYYYY**

**Okay... I'm really sorry I haven't posted for a while. Like I said, I'm super busy, and when I'm busy I can't write, and when I can't write I get anxious, and when I get anxious I go a little bit crazy, and... just... sorry, guys. **

**So, update schedule... I'm gonna shoot for Wednesdays and Saturdays, but it seems I've grossly underestimated my workload, so it's likely to be more on Saturdays. **

**On the bright side, I'M SEEING STARKID IN A WEEK!**

**Oh, and that reference from chapter 6? Now that I think about it, I'm actually not positive it was in the book... Dammit. It was in the movie. Deathly Hallows part 1. Virtual cookies if anyone actually decides to go back and look for that :)**

**Disclaimer: I can't even afford to fly to Chicago. We got free tickets from double miles or whatever. Do I look like I'm rich enough to own Batman or Starkid? Do I look talented enough?**

**Chapter 9**

I was treated for smoke inhalation and several lacerations, minor and fairly major, from both the window and my time spent with Candy. My hand was wrapped up like a club, and the doctors forced me to stay at least until the afternoon so they could ensure I was stable. I didn't see the point, not really. Just a few scrapes, and I recovered quickly from the effects of the fire.

In all honesty, what I really wanted was to get the hell out of there, find Batman, and kick his ass.

I didn't share that, of course.

I was able to slip out shortly past two, leaving a very confused nurse in my hospital room. I didn't want to stay in there any longer. Luckily, the doctor watching me had apparently already cleared me to leave, so I was able to leave the crowded building more or less unnoticed.

Despite the events of the night before, I decided to walk home. It wasn't far away, and it was mid afternoon. Not a huge chance of a second kidnapping, at least if I took the main roads.

I spied an unattended morning newspaper sitting on the stoop of a nearly abandoned building, snatched it up, and continued on my way. I tucked the paper under my arm, deciding to read it when I arrived at my apartment.

I passed the building I was outside when I was kidnapped the night before. Rather than feeling nervous, frightened, as I expected, I felt something else.

Rage.

And at who else but the Batman?

He killed my husband, he did nothing to stop Candy from kidnapping me, and he abandoned me to die in that warehouse.

That bastard deserved to die, and painfully.

I kept these dark thoughts to myself as I traveled back to my apartment. I wandered into the lobby, twirling my keys around my fingers. The woman at the desk seemed a little worried - apprehensive, maybe? - but she kept her mouth shut and I was able to enter my apartment in peace.

After locking the door and, as an added precaution, shoving a chair under the handle, I settled back on the loveseat and unfolded the paper. The headline caught my attention immediately.

"C REVEALED TO BE VILLAINESS CANDY! THE CAPED CRUSADER BRINGS ANOTHER MENACE TO JUSTICE!"

I skimmed over the article, growing more and more angry as I continued reading, my grip tightening on the edges of the paper. There wasn't a mention of my kidnapping, of Batman abandoning a citizen and leaving them to die. The article covered the majority of the first page, and I flipped it over the read the finishing blurb, and to find out who wrote it.

_ "In addition to these heroic deeds, Batman rescued Ms. Roxie Arthur from Candy's clutches. Ms. Arthur is very grateful to Batman for the heroic rescue. Until next time, this has been Angela Carter of the Gotham Gazette. Thank you, Batman."_

I tore the paper to shreds and threw it in the trash bin. That was it. I was fucking done. I wasn't grateful to Batman, and he hadn't done shit to save me.

I threw myself down at my kitchen table, shaking with rage.

The city adored their goddamn hero?

Fine.

Let's expose the fucking bastard for who he was.

**If you still somehow haven't noticed... Roxanne has much worse language than my first OC. Therefore, the story is going to have a considerably larger vocabulary of foul language. Nothing too horrible... But still. You have been warned. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! How goes it!**

***audience glares at her***

**Hey hey hey, STOP IT. I CAN FEEL YOU JUDGING ME WITH YOUR EYES. I actually have a legitimate excuse for missing the last two updates... Saturday (when this chapter was going to be posted) was Tech Weekend for my play, as was Sunday... *Snape voice* obviously. And last weekend?**

**Um, STARKID? BLOODY EFFING STARKID? CAN I JUST SAY STARKID?! **

***faints***

**Yeah... That was probably the happiest I've ever been... and I'm really not over exaggerating... I think I might've scared them. Maybe it was the fact that I sent them an email a while back... Oh well. It's not like I live close enough for them to see me any time soon. **

**And speaking of Starkid, TWISTED ON THANKSGIVING! WHOO! YEAH! NOW I HAVE EVEN MORE OF A REASON TO AVOID MY FAMILY! WAHOO!**

**I'm really looking forward to it, if you can't tell... It looks really good... Perhaps even totally awesome :)**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own. Oh, and Roxanne has recently informed me that I don't even own her, seeing as slavery is illegal here, in the United States, where I live... shit! I've given away my location! Brown, get me outta here!**

***helicopter flies in, picks up Always, and flies off***

**...**

_**This is an automated message in the event that Always is unable to finish her traditional intro. Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget that she owns nothing. **_

**Chapter 10**

The weekend passed in a haze. I was planning, desperately planning. I wasn't quite sure just what I was planning, but I knew that somehow I would cause the downfall of the Batman.

I just had to figure out how to do that.

By the time Monday morning rolled around, my apartment, usually spotlessly clean, was covered in old newspapers, designs, photographs, and who knows what else. I had hardly slept since Thursday, and had already gone through several six packs of Red Bull. I was simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated, a really strange feeling.

I darted around the apartment, eventually locating a clean outfit, throwing my hair into a braid as I went. The toaster dinged just as I was dumping my coffee into an old mug, and my bagel ended up charred and hard as a rock. I wrapped it up in a paper towel to eat later anyway.

I quickly dumped the remnants of my Red bull into my coffee, too lazy to pour it in the sink, and tossed the empty can in the general direction of the trash. I sauntered through the open door and kicked it shut behind me.

I knew I was running late, but who the hell cared? It wasn't like they could re-fire me. I was only going to the school to raise some hell, to leave behind some kind of legacy. Mostly just to piss Dr. High-And-Mighty Roberts off.

Upon reaching the school, I stalked through the hallways, glaring at every teacher and faculty member I saw. Rumors circulated fast in the rather small school, and I was sure none of the trust-fund baby teachers were sad to see me go.

I threw the door to my class open just as the late bell rang. Unsurprisingly, the kids were laughing, talking, gossiping, and a few were even screaming. They more or less ignored me as I walked to the front of the class. I stood behind my desk for a few minutes, waiting for them to quiet. They didn't, so I decided to try a more... dramatic approach to get their attention.

"QUIET!" I shrieked, and slammed my bag down on the table.

That certainly shut them up.

I imagine my unkempt appearance and the fact that I was twitching from caffeine and lack of sleep probably scared them into submission.  
"I don't know if you've been informed, but after today I will no longer be teaching here," I continued, speaking in a more mild tone than before. Some of the kids seemed relieved, and I wasn't sure if it was because I was leaving or because I had calmed down. "Because of this, I've decided we're just going to have a fun day today, all right? We're not doing math, grammar, none of that."

A few students cheered, though the majority still looked a bit frightened. One girl, a redhead named Barbara, or something like that, raised a long, thin arm into the air. I tilted my head toward her, indicating that she could ask her question.

"Ms. Arthur, I hope you don't mind my asking," she said, her voice a bit timid, "but... um, why are you leaving?"

"The director of this school, Dr. Roberts, is a bitch," I said simply. A few of the students gasped at my use of the word, but I really didn't care. "After I had a meeting with a certain parent, she decided that I didn't need to 'sully the good name of the school any more,' or something to that extent. Any more questions?"

The class was silent once more. I thought I saw a flash of realization and what may have been anger cross Dick's face. Ah, so he knew about my meeting with Bruce. Seemed he wasn't satisfied with the result.

"No questions? Good. To the chem lab it is, then." The students seemed a bit surprised at these instructions, but followed them anyway. Most of them were loud and rowdy on the way to the lab, though a bit more subdued than usual. I made no effort to quiet them until we were all standing in the lab, clumped around one of the tables.

"Everyone, find a partner. I don't care who," I announced. "Pick wisely. There could be a reward for whoever does best."

The students scrambled around, several of the smarter kids being yanked into the madness, pulled at from all sides. Only Dick and the girl from earlier were able to escape the fray, clinging to each other as if they believed they would be attacked if they let go. It was pretty damn entertaining to not only watch the children fighting over the remaining smart kids, but also to watch the few people who had paired with a friend glare at every approaching classmate wanting to split up the group. After five minutes or so, groups were settled and a pair sat at every lab table.

"The object of this class is to have fun and experiment with some new chemicals," I informed them. "Nothing deadly has been given to you - at least, nothing that is deadly on its own - and your goal is to make the largest, most impressive chemical explosion you can." A smile tugged at my lips when I saw the astonished looks on their faces. "No one has enough to blow up anything major. The only rule is that no one may deliberately injure, kill, or otherwise incapacitate another student. You may steal or trade chemicals with other groups, sabotage other mixes, anything to help yourselves to win. You have at least an hour. Go."

A few students were still looking at me strangely, but most had already sprung into action. I pulled out the chair from under the desk and plopped down, grinning, as I watched the chaos unfold. The kids were mostly focusing on stealing from others, rather than protecting their own supplies. As a result, almost nothing was getting done.

The only two groups accomplishing anything were Dick and Barbara and a pair of stronger but significantly dumber kids. They were sitting at tables directly next to each other, and it seemed they had worked out a kind of agreement. The two stronger kids were fending off other groups while Barbara wrote out a formula and Dick experimented with the chemicals like the little mad scientist he was. Clever kids, those two.

I didn't have quite as long as I had hoped to enjoy the show. Before long, there was a muffled boom from the back corner of the room. I glanced over to see smoke and the four kids in the corner covered in filmy, iridescent material. I began to clap, and the other students tentatively followed my example.

"Well done," I said, grinning. "Really, well done. I shouldn't be surprised that you succeeded first." I poked my head out the door, checking for teachers, and noticed a few people looking around in confusion at the noise of the explosion.

"Come on," I said, herding the kids out the door and back to the classroom. "I'll pick out a prize in a bit. I think we've been spotted."

I casually strolled down the hallway, letting the kids run ahead, acting nonchalant, as if we hadn't just caused a pretty major explosion in the chemistry lab. I had to admit, it have me a huge rush - even though I wasn't directly responsible for the destruction, it felt amazing to get revenge.

A girl could get used to this.

**So I think I've more or less decided how she's gonna become a super_. I know there's gonna be a party with _, where she sets her eyes on _'s _ and ends up taking it, which leads to the formation of her costume. I've got a lot planned, like _'s escape, _'s kidnapping, and a probable relationship between both _ and _ and _ and _, but no one's gonna know who's who until _ starts to work with _ and everything falls to shit when _ finds out who _ is and when _ finds out who _ is...**

**Yeah, I can't say any more. If you wanna count the individual underscores in each of those blanks to determine what names would fit and make sense where, well, have fun with that and kudos to you. If not... I just gave away half of the major plot points so you're probably better off not knowing. **

**Also, please check out my profile for my new story! It's a Batman Begins/Dark Knight/Dark Knight Rises fic that I'm not gonna start posting until I'm finished with this one. If you want to PM me about it, feel free. I have a short little sample you can read if you want. Let me know what you think of the idea!... even though I really didn't write much on here...**

**I'll try to post Saturday, but it might not happen until Sunday or Monday due to the school musical. **

**Please review! Reviews make me feel all bubbly and happy inside... Plus they kinda force me to write faster. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the belated update. We (finally) performed the musical this week, so I've just been too tired to do anything. I'm updating now, though... **

**Oh, and also, I'm only up to chapter thirteen of this story. I'd kinda lost all inspiration and desire to write this, but I've found that forcing myself to write and basically just kicking my own ass until I do tends to help with that. So that's what I'm doing now. **

**And also... LESS THAN THREE WEEKS UNTIL TWISTED YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!**

**Disclaimer: There's this magical land, far, far away, where I own Harry Potter, Team Starkid, Batman, The Blood Gospel and the series to follow, Percy Jackson, Cold Case, and NCIS, among others, but this land sadly exists in another dimension. So, sadly, all I can do is pretend, and I do so by writing fanfics, reading the books, watching the movies/TV series (when it comes to NCIS and Cold Case), and eating a hell of a lot of ice cream. **

**Chapter 11**

After a few minutes of paranoid quiet, most of the children going half out of their minds with worry that we would be caught, I stood up again, striding back to the front of the room.

"All right, guys," I said, "we're going to have a discussion. I promise you won't be judged for whatever side you choose to take on this... at least, not too much... but we're going to talk about it anyway." I picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board in huge letters, 'THE BATMAN.'

I turned back around to face the class. Most of the children looked excited to talk about him, as we never did in regular class. I had never outright told them about my hatred of the man, but most of them seemed to sense that it was an unfriendly topic and therefore stayed well away from it.

"There's always a considerable amount of controversy surrounding this man," I continued, pacing back and forth in front of the board. "Whether it's over his identity, his morals, his work, there is always an argument surrounding him. I know that all of you seem to be obsessed with him, so no, I am not forcing you to debate on whether he is a 'good guy' or a 'bad guy,' or perhaps somewhere in between. We'll make a list of pros and cons. Who wants to start?"

Nearly every child's hand shot into the air.

Twenty minutes later I realized I had hugely underestimated just how much these kids worshipped Batman. Not a single bad thing about him had been said by that point. Ridiculous, if you ask me. At least it gave me an idea of how Batman was viewed in the eyes of the younger generation.

I didn't like what I was learning at all.

I sighed, setting the chalk back down at rubbing my temples. Maybe slandering the Batman would be harder than I thought - especially if the rest of the city was just as innocently blind as these eleven year olds.

"Doesn't anyone have anything to say about why some people might not like the Batman?" I asked the class at large, exasperated. "Or do you all believe that no one in the city has any problem with him whatsoever?"

Dick, who had been silent up to that point, contributing nothing to the conversation, slowly raised his hand. I motioned my hand toward him, too frustrated to trust myself to speak.

"I think," he began hesitantly, "...I think having the Batman brings a lot to our city."

Well, there went my only hope for some rational thinking.

"However..." the boy continued, "he's not... always... the best influence or the most cool-headed person. He's done a load of great work for the city, sure... but I think he can have his moments. Like last year, with the whole Sweet Tooth attack... when Robin was kidnapped back then, he freaked out and chose to save his friend over the city. Do you remember that? He's an amazing man, but his logic and reasoning can be flawed sometimes. And he doesn't really know how to fully trust anyone. I don't think he totally trusts even Robin. A-And he can't be there every time someone needs saving. Sometimes something gets in the way, and he can't make it, and that makes people upset, angry." I could've sworn he threw a glance at me at that point. "A lot of people disagree with his methods, and yeah, admittedly they're a bit violent, but he never fully stoops to the level of a criminal. He's a good guy, but he's got his flaws. He's not perfect, but he's the hero Gotham deserves, and the one we need."

The room was silent for a few minutes, everyone taking in not only what the boy had just said, but the fact that this was the most he had said for the entire year. Then some kids started clapping, and Dick blushed. I was silent, deep in thought.

That was an interesting view of Batman and his methods...

But that still didn't change what he'd done.

I waited for the applause to die down before speaking again, making sure to choose my words carefully, to not completely give away how much I still hated the man. I had a vague feeling that Dick could tell I disliked the 'caped crusader,' and it seemed he was trying to sway my opinion on the matter. It wasn't going to work. Not by a long shot.

"That was an... interesting way of describing the differing views of the Batman," I informed the class at large. "Fairly accurate too, though some people are at more extreme ends of that spectrum." I checked my watch. Barely eleven. I didn't really want to be here any longer...

"Okay, guys, listen up. We're getting out early today," I announced, enjoying the looks of confusion. "Pack up your stuff and go. School's out for the day." All of the students were stunned to some extent, but no one questioned it. After all, what child would protest against the chance to get out of school early?

The majority of them hesitated, hung back, as though they were waiting to ensure that they could leave. I ended up practically pushing the stragglers out the door before returning to my desk and shoving the few remaining personal belongings into my bag. I sat down in the comfortable, familiar rolling office chair and plunked my feet up on the desk, turning on the television. Might as well enjoy the luxuries of television, electricity, and comfortable furniture for as long as I was guaranteed to have it.

**Again... If this seems like an awkward cut-off, that's because it is. This was going to be combined with the next chapter, but it would've gotten too long or... something. Anyway, the next chapter is longer. The chapter after that... hopefully... we gonna get some action.**

**See y'all next week!**

**Oh, and if you were wondering... What Dick says is pretty much what I think of Batman. He's the shit and so much cooler than other heroes (and yes, I know that I just opened myself up to so many angry comments... Please don't stop reading this story just because of that...), but he's not perfect. He's essentially good, but he doesn't fully trust anyone - if anyone, I would say Alfred and Alfred alone, and even then they don't always get along - and his methods are violent. They kinda have to be, seeing as he doesn't have any powers, but still. I think I mostly like him because none of the characters in his universe are completely black and white... Anyway, if anyone really wants to talk about Batman/Bruce Wayne as a character for whatever reason, PM me. No one at my school likes Batman all that much... Damn you, Iron Man... **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey look, I'm updating on the day I'm supposed to!**

**_Dani: *rolls eyes* That doesn't happen very often. _**

**Danielle Ria, you are not in this story. You are not in this fandom. You are not even a character in a fanfic. You are a character floating around my brain. Why are you here?**

_**You know that woman, Roxanne? The one this story is about? The one that you're writing right now - and might I add, you should be writing MINE, seeing as you actually OWN all the characters and plausibly make MONEY from writing it. But anyway, she asked me to take her place. Has some 'business' to take care of. She doesn't seem to realize I'm a cop. **_

**Yes, in New York. In an alternate universe. Therefore you can't exactly arrest her...**

**_Doesn't mean I'm not gonna try... *loads pistol*_**

**Dani, what do you think you're doing?**

_**Before I go, gotta remind the viewers, seeing as you can't get your shit together to do it yourself-**_

**Hey!**

_**She doesn't own anyone or anything except Roxanne. Now I have a fire to put out... *runs off***_

***rolls eyes* Worst exit line ever, Dani. You would think you'd be fairly good at those now. You've been a detective for ten years, and you're a certified genius, but no... Love her to pieces, but still... Sometimes I worry about the characters I write. **

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 12**

An hour or so later, not long before lunch or before I knew someone was bound to notice my lack of students, I was still sitting at the desk, now trying to come up with the best way to exit with a bang... metaphorically and literally speaking.

"Miss Arthur?" The voice was quiet, curious, slightly hesitant, and friendly as ever.

Shit. Should've known Dick would come back. And to think I was convinced I could just cause a little more havoc and leave a legacy behind...

"Yes?" I turned to face the boy, allowing a mostly fake smile to fall onto my face. He was holding an envelope of some kind, very thick and expensive-looking - well, if an envelope can look expensive - and I couldn't help but wonder what it was.

"Bruce asked me to give this to you," he explained, noting the faint look of curiosity I was sure was present in my eyes, despite my best efforts to mask it. He handed the envelope to me, and I fought the urge to rip it open immediately.

"Tell him I say thank you," I responded, clearly a dismissal. I made to go back to my planning, but I could tell he hadn't left. I glanced up at the child and let a slightly more genuine smile slip into place.

"It's been a pleasure teaching you, Dick." Ah, yes. One of the few truthful statements I had said for quite some time. Refreshing.

"He feels really guilty about what happened..." Dick said awkwardly, not meeting my gaze. "He, um, told me about what you guys talked about..." His head suddenly snapped up and his eyes bored into mine, urgent and pleading and guilty and worried, all at once. "I swear nothing's wrong, really, I promise. You shouldn't have been fired." Something resembling hopefulness leaked into his expression. "Maybe we could talk to Dr. Roberts. Once she understands what happened, I'm sure she'll-"

I cut him off with a slight laugh, admittedly harsher than intended. "Nothing's going to stop that woman from pitching me out. She's been on my case since the day I got here. I'm lucky I lasted as long as I did." I tucked the envelope carefully into the inside pocket of my purse and stood rather slowly, still savoring the feeling of a steady income... My final check was due to come in the mail sometime in the coming week, and I didn't want to face the music when it arrived.

"Okay, well, I'll see you around, Miss Arthur!" Dick said, sadness and ever-present cheerfulness, though it was feigned this time, mingling in his voice. "Don't forget to look at the envelope."

Almost at the door, I turned over my shoulder and smiled a tiny bit more. "I won't forget, don't worry. And you can call me Roxanne now. Miss Arthur doesn't really fit me, wouldn't you agree?" I heard a quiet chuckle, raised my hand in a farewell gesture, then turned on my heel and left the building.

I sauntered through the city on the way back to my apartment, taking a bit of a detour to enjoy the crisp, cool weather and the relative quiet of the streets. This was normally a bustling area during the week, but seeing as it wasn't much after noon it was close to deserted. Still, though, I kept to the more populated roads. Walking around the city in the middle of the working day brought enough attention to a person; strolling through alleyways would only make it worse.

I reached my apartment without any major incident. No muggings, robberies, or murders took place on my walk home, and it actually felt a bit... boring. I found myself almost longing for the days when Sweet Tooth and the Joker had ruled over Gotham - reigns of terror, maybe, but at least they had been interesting. There hadn't been any major attacks since Sweet Tooth's, and that had been almost a year before.

Maybe it was time to fix that. Maybe that was what I would do. Bring some of the chaos back to Gotham... Maybe I'd even be able to turn people against the Batman, like they used to be.

I was grinning to myself, excited about my idea, half wanting to go out to the city and get my plan started at that moment. Unfortunately, though, there was first the matter of how I would manage the plan... How I would afford the plan... And of course, what exactly I was going to do.

Fine, it was more of an idea than an actual plan. Still, though, it was a good one, and it was coming along nicely.

I tossed my purse onto the sofa and started to turn away, only for my attention to be caught by Bruce's envelope slipping out. I picked it up, the deep blue, embossed envelope looking strange and foreign in my humble apartment. After only a second's hesitation, I slit the envelope open with a fingernail and unfolded the invitation inside.

Dear Miss Arthur,  
You are cordially invited to the unveiling of the Gotham City Museum's newest wing, built with help from Wayne Enterprises. The wing is a tribute to the heroes and the villains in our city, and many artifacts - including the Batman's original suit, utility belt, and tools - will be on display. We hope to see you there.  
Date: Saturday, October 19  
Time: 10:00 PM  
Place: Gotham City Museum  
Dress: Formal

I gritted my teeth as I read through the invitation again, the fact that Batman was being honored with a museum wing - even if it wasn't just his - almost too much to bear. I started to tear the letter to shreds, then forced myself to pause.

Hadn't it said his suit would be on display?

I skimmed through it again, only to find that I was correct - the famed Bat-Suit would be on display. Maybe I could work this in my favor.

I needed tools, didn't I? And I certainly didn't have money to pay for them. If his original costume was on display, with the tools and the belt... I could always take it.

Wouldn't that be a shock to the Bat? To be honored with a museum wing and then have his things stolen... I would pay to see the look on his face when he found out about that.

But wait... There was no damn way I would fit in his suit. But if his suit was on display, it was only fitting that some villains' suits would too, wasn't it? Catwoman and I were probably the same size, and I knew that she had been captured before, knew that her stuff had been taken when she was.

A huge smile slid across my face as the gears in my mind started moving at warp speed. Grabbing a pen and a pad of paper, I began to scribble everything I thought of down. A plan was forming, and it was a damn good one.

Oh, Batman wasn't going to like this one bit...

**Roxanne'a planning something... That's never a good sign. **

**So yes, shit's gonna go down, and soon. If (and only if) I can get at least two, preferably three chapters finished by Tuesday I will post on Wednesday, and I'll try to go back to twice-a-week posting... I'm really way too impatient to only post once a week. Plus I'm more likely to forget. So, see you on (hopefully) Wednesday!**


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